


A Spark, An Arrow, and A Calamity

by royaltyjunk



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Character Study, Culture, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, may i present: revali/urbosa, why revali/urbosa? because I do what I want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-08 08:00:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14100981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/royaltyjunk/pseuds/royaltyjunk
Summary: Revali sighs, and looks up at the sky smeared with pink, orange, and yellow. He doesn't offer an answer, and she doesn't expect one. What they know to expect is a disaster and a calamity that can - and will - change their lives.





	1. first, their people

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Ideas: Guess who's a huge nerd? Me!  
> Out of everything I could've chosen to enter this fandom with, I decided to write a character & culture study
> 
> Also uhhh I had originally planned to use Urbosa & Revali and also this was only supposed to be one chapter but the more I wrote the more invested I became so now I'm in rarepair hell and this is two chapters long  
> Join meeeeeee

"Daruk!" Zelda cries, turning to them with a surprised expression after the Sheikah Slate lets out a click, and Purah lowers the Slate. Urbosa manages, through a smile, to reach out a hand, and grabs Revali by the scarf to keep him from falling onto the ground beak-first.

He stumbles backwards before standing upright, and Urbosa lets out a chuckle. Revali turns and glares at Daruk, who just laughs heartily.

"At times, I wonder why I even bother," Revali grumbles.

Urbosa casts a sideways glance at him, and he meets her gaze before sighing and turning away, walking to the pavillion they had been gathered under. He doesn't make an attempt to come back, and after glancing around, she goes after him.

She walks towards him in silence, the only noise her heels against wood. He's standing in front of a railing, holding his hands behind his back as he stares off into the distance.

"...What do you want?" he questions, looking over his shoulder as she approaches him. She walks around him and stands at his side, staring off into the distance.

"There is a disaster coming," Urbosa murmurs suddenly, "and we must be ready for it." She turns to look at him then. "So enjoy times like this."

Revali sighs, and looks up at the sky smeared with pink, orange, and yellow. He doesn't offer an answer, and she doesn't expect one.

What they know to expect is a disaster and a calamity that can - and will - change their lives.

~ / . / . / ~

"Welcome home, Master Revali!" a white-feathered Rito songstress chirps as they approach her at Rito Stable. "Who is that with you?"

"Ah, Yutra," Revali greets. "This is Urbosa. Urbosa, Yutra."

"Lady Urbosa!? As in the Gerudo chieftain and Champion?" Yutra gasps.

"If you would like to refer to me on such formal terms, then yes. That is me," Urbosa smiles gently.

Yutra squawks out in shock before spreading her wings. "Oh, we must go tell everyone else! Revali, you - "

"Yutra!" he says sternly, and she starts. "You're misunderstanding. Urbosa is simply here to visit our village. We are hosting the Champions meeting, after all."

"Oh…" the Rito brushes at her feathers sheepishly. "Well, I hope you enjoy your visit, Lady Urbosa."

"I… will." Urbosa glances over at Revali, frowning. He simply looks away and gestures for her to follow. "It was nice to meet you, Yutra."

"It was nice to meet you too, Lady Urbosa!" Yutra smiles, and then leans in. "Please, watch over Master Revali. He cares too much of his abilities and his training, and so he often overworks himself."

"I - Of course." Urbosa glances over at Revali, and, with a wave, leaves Yutra behind and follows after the Rito Champion.

To be honest, she has never really seen that side of Revali that Yutra had mentioned. All Urbosa has seen is an arrogant Rito with a penchant for the dramatic and a hatred for Link. She supposes it makes sense; after all, he must have some reason for that hatred of Link.

"So what was that all about?" Urbosa questions as they walk along the worn path. Revali sighs.

"As many people do not come to Rito Village, it is customary for Rito… for lack of a better word, grooms to bring their brides of other cultures back to Rito Village on foot."

"Hm." Urbosa purses her lips.

"It must be different for the Gerudo," Revali comments, glancing over at her.

"Yes," Urbosa replies, and doesn't say anything else. She can feel his eyes on her, but he looks away, instead focusing on his hometown.

"Just across this bridge is Rito Village," Revali informs, pointing past the long suspension bridge in front of him. Urbosa's eyes follow the direction he's gesturing, and then starts.

"Your village is built on a staircase?" she questions incredulously. "Around a rock?"

"Of course," Revali replies with an air of egotism as they cross the suspension bridge. It wobbles under their weight, but holds firm until they reach the rocky entrance of Rito Village. "Our village is up high as to help train the little ones in how to fly. Besides, we Rito love flying. It would be - "

"Revali!" A young child's voice cuts him off. "Revali, Revali!"

The two of them turn at the sudden calling of Revali's name from above. Revali grunts as a group of children descend on him from the sky.

"Yay! Revali's back!" A red-feathered chick cries out, pecking relentlessly at Revali's head. The other chicks attach themselves onto him.

"Goddess Hylia!" he yelps, "I left for a week! Can't Tevy keep you guys in line!?"

"We don't want Tevy!" another chick replies. "We want you!"

"Quite the child charmer, aren't you?" Urbosa comments, smiling. Revali swears under his breath, a look of panic in his eyes, and she lets out a short laugh. "No need to be embarrassed."

"Hey, who are you?" A different chick chirps from her place by Revali's feet. "Why are you here? What are you anyways?"

"Settle down, pipsqueak," Revali grumbles. "And stop grabbing onto me." He waits for the young chick to stop. "This is Urbosa. She's here on a visit because she's a Gerudo, alright? Now, get off of me. All of you."

"No!" All of the kids immediately chorus, and Revali groans. A feeling of familiarity courses through her, and she steps forward, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Young ones like them are hard to persuade," she comments, and reaches out a hand to a green-feathered chick perched on Revali's shoulder.

Hesitantly, the young chick flies towards Urbosa, and she cradles the young Rito against her chest.

"I'm sure your parents must be worried about you," she continues, and the young Rito chirps softly. A feeling of motherly love flashes through her,

"I need to show Urbosa around, okay? Go run off and play. I'll be shooting later."

"But Revali - "

"I promise I'll get you guys when I do start shooting, okay? Now shoo."

The children mumble and grumble, but slowly detach themselves from Revali and fly away into Rito Village. He lets out a sigh of relief and exasperation, and Urbosa chuckles, a gentle feeling of nostalgia and something indescribable but identifiable flying through her. It was the feeling she often got when she looked at Zelda, and became immersed in the past and in the memories of her dear friend.

"Now that they're dealt with," Revali speaks up, and she glances over to see him walking away, "we can finally get a move on."

Without another word, he leads her into Rito Village, and she follows closely behind him as he climbs the stairs with nimble feet.

She lets her eyes wander along the open village, built with wood, adorned with colors, and sheltered by the beautiful blue sky and soaring Rito warriors and songstresses.

The sun slowly descends from its peak at noontime as Revali guides her through Rito Village. It truly surprises Urbosa how generous and caring the Rito are. She receives a free pass to spend a night in one of their Rito-down beds, a gifted apple pie from the store owner, Misa, of the Slippery Falcon, and even a free cloak, woven from molten feathers and meant for special guests.

Urbosa truthfully had not considered herself a special guest, but from the way Revali introduced her to every Rito, she supposes there is no other way to see her - at least in a Rito's eyes.

They visit the village elder afterwards, who offers them to take a seat in the lofty building just beside his room. There is already a wonderful fire roaring, and they sit down. Revali cuts her a slice of apple pie they had been offered, and they sit, warming themselves by the fire, for as bright as the sun is, the cold is still there and bites at her mercilessly.

"I've been meaning to ask," Urbosa starts, holding her chin between her fingers, "but I've been wondering about your bow."

"The Great Eagle Bow?" Revali asks as he swallows a bite of his pie. "What of it?"

"Is it an heirloom?"

"No," Revali replies curtly. "It was handcrafted. For me."

The air between them becomes tense again, and a small spark of anxiety begins to stir in Urbosa's gut. It's only cut away by Misa, who sticks her head in and cheerily chirps, "How is it?"

"It's wonderful," Urbosa replies, smiling. "Thank you very much."

"Of course!" Misa laughs, and then turns to Revali. "You don't have to say anything. I know you liked it, Master Revali."

Revali rolls his eyes and hands Misa his plate before turning to Urbosa. After a moment of hesitation, he asks, "Do you want to try out some of our bows?"

She raises her eyebrows. He scowls at the look on her face.

"I'm sure you're not as skilled as I am, but you simply seemed interested." There it was again. That arrogant farce he'd always put on when things weren't going good.

But Urbosa just chuckles and agrees, replying, "Of course."

Revali gestures for her to follow him, and soon they're standing on the Landing - its name is not yet decided, although there are rumors that it's to be named after Revali - and Urbosa is staring down three wooden targets.

"What if I miss the targets?" she questions, looking over her shoulder at Revali, who is plucking a bowstring and stretching it.

"I'll fly down and get the arrow. You keep shooting," he answers with a touch of carelessness in his voice. His attention is purely on the bow he's preparing. He gives it a light flick with his feather, pressing his ear against the wood. With a satisfied noise, he gives her the bow.

She accepts the bow offered to her - a Sparrow Bow, Revali informs as he passes it to her - and then starts. "This is much lighter than I had expected," Urbosa comments as she turns her right shoulder to the target and shifting her right foot forward.

Revali frowns. "Your bows are heavier?"

"We don't use them for aerial combat, and they're metal," she replies, plucking the bowstring. Revali nods.

Revali offers her an arrow, and she notches it along the bowstring. The Rito champion watches her with a critical eye as she hooks one finger above the arrow and two below, pulling back.

"These draw surprisingly quick," Urbosa smiles, and then closes her right eye, aiming straight for the target. She lets go, careful to keep the bowstring from scraping against her arm, and watches the arrow fly through the air.

In a split second, it embeds itself into the yellow circle surrounding the bullseye, and she clicks her tongue, shaking her head.

"I never was quite good at archery."

"Move your feet more apart," Revali commands, walking to her side. She does as he says, and he frowns. "Your shoes aren't supporting you well, making you shake when you handle the bow, and you can't aim as well or load as quickly. Take them off."

She looks at him incredulously. He meets her gaze.

"What?" he snaps.

"It seems the Gerudo handle bows differently." She lowers her bow. "What things do you prioritize when training aerial archery?"

"Speed and precision. We must be able to shoot things from the sky, and be able to shoot things in the sky that may escape us," he explains, his expression turning incredulous as he continues to speak. "Do you not?"

"No. We don't use bows much, and when we do, they are often used for their ability to hit distant targets." She smiles at the shocked look on his face. "We may supply your shock arrows, but we don't care much for them, or the bows that fire them."

"Hm," Revali grumbles, and doesn't say anything else.

"Revali!" a familiar voice rings through the tense silence, and Revali groans. "Urbosa!"

"Daruk," Urbosa greets, waving them over. "You're early."

"I didn't know it'd only take around an hour to walk to Rito Village," Daruk replies. "The Rito sure are nice though. Hard to believe you're from a bunch like them, Revali!"

Revali crosses his wings and scoffs, an angry scowl on his face. Urbosa chuckles.

The rest of the afternoon, Revali watches Urbosa fire arrows at the line of targets, flying after arrows that zip off into the canyon behind them. Every time he comes back, he offers her a snippet of criticism and goes back to standing the corner of the Landing, plucking at the bowstring of his own bow.

That night, right before the Champions are supposed to meet, he disappears, and when Urbosa finds him, he's collapsed in the Flight Range, unconscious with his wing clasped tightly around the Great Eagle Bow and the burnt ends of Bomb Arrows riddled over targets strung up in almost impossible-to-hit places.

She carries him back, and doesn't say a thing when he wakes up beside the fireplace they had sat beside - just offers to get the children so he can shoot for them.

~ / . / . / ~

Urbosa sighs, resting her cheek against her hand as she lays a hand on the Thunder Helm, glancing out of Naboris's balcony on a laid-out blanket piled with cushions, a set up that she had used to help make Zelda comfortable in Naboris when they would rest during reparations. She has no doubt that it will see use again tonight, when the princess and other Champions meet her here.

The Divine Beast was perhaps not the best place to be making herself at home, but Naboris doesn't seem to have objections - after all, Rudania had nearly tossed Daruk into Death Mountain after they had brought one "rock roast", as they had so lovingly called it, on board.

Urbosa smiles. "Sarqso, Naboris."

She doesn't get an answer - after all, only Mipha can hear the voice of her Divine Beast - but Naboris trembles, as if saying, in response, "you're welcome".

Urbosa chuckles, taking her hand from her cheek and affectionately laying it on the floor beside her. Naboris trembles again, but seemingly not out of accepting her gratitude. She hears distant sparking, and Urbosa closes her eyes, surveying the surrounding area with her connection to the Divine Beast.

In the distance, she sees a figure making its way towards Naboris in mid-air - a Rito? There's only one person who would need to reach Naboris at a time like this who was also a Rito. She shuts off the lightning sparkling from the top of Naboris and waits.

As expected, he lands with a splendor and grace of a Rito warrior that has mastered the sky - as he so pridefully called it - wings out and wind blossoming at his feet as he lands just along the window, blocking Urbosa's sun.

"Urbosa - " Revali cuts himself off, blinking before speaking up again. "Goddess Hylia, am I even talking to the right person?"

Urbosa tilts her head, a coy smile on her face. "Is it the headdress?"

"Yes," he replies bluntly.

Urbosa fidgets with her headdress and then looks at him. "Why are you here?"

"Everyone is waiting for you in front of Gerudo Town," Revali informs as he hops down out of the sun and stands in front of her. "They made me come get you and your Divine Beast so they wouldn't have to walk all the way across the desert."

"It makes sense," Urbosa replies, and then closes her eyes. Tapping into the connection in her mind with Naboris, she directs the Divine Beast towards Gerudo Town. After a moment, Naboris trembles and begins to move. She opens her eyes to see Revali glancing at the object in her hands.

"What in the world are you holding?"

"Ah, yes. You've never seen it before." Urbosa pulls off her headdress, shaking her head. "That is the Thunder Helm, a Gerudo heirloom that has been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of the Gerudo."

"Isn't this the sort of thing you should keep in Gerudo Town then?" Revali asks bluntly, sitting down next to her and reaching over to pick up the Thunder Helm.

Urbosa raises an eyebrow at him as she lays her headdress at her feet and ripping two bananas from the nearby bunch of them before offering him one. "What do you mean?"

"Well, wouldn't it be easier to protect something like that in a town surrounded with soldiers?" Revali replies, glancing at her as he peels the banana and takes a small bite.

"Not many people know of the Thunder Helm. I suppose the Yiga Clan is of concern lately… although we haven't had a theft attempt in years. So, no. It is easy to protect on my own." With deft fingers, she peels her own banana and continues. "After all, isn't your Great Eagle Bow much like our Thunder Helm?"

"I suppose." Revali falls silent after that, chewing on his banana. The Thunder Helm rests in his lap. She watches as he picks it up. He doesn't say a word, and doesn't even notice her staring at him - he's too fixated with running his feathers along the helmet and admiring the structure and look of it.

"Does it do anything?" he questions finally, finishing the rest of his fruit.

"Of course it does. Do you think it has been handed down simply for show?" Urbosa smiles at the look of curiosity in his eyes. "It repels lightning, but is only worn by the Chief of the Gerudo."

"Repels lightning?" he frowns in confusion.

"It creates a sphere that will deflect any lightning that strikes against that sphere."

"Hm," Revali says, and sets it down before sighing. Urbosa glances up over the edge of Naboris's balcony. Gerudo Town draws near - she can see it in the distance. She stands, and glances over at him.

"We will be arriving soon." Urbosa looks out again, and squints before laughing. "It seems my people are rather curious about the other Champions."

"Oh goddess Hylia. I have to go back into that heat again?" he groans.

"Yes, you do."

"No," he replies firmly. "No, I'm not leaving."

Urbosa raises an eyebrow at him, a small smile on her face as Naboris walks closer to Gerudo Town. Slowly, the distant figures in front of Gerudo Town begin to come into focus.

Urbosa commands Naboris to a halt, and reaches down, grabbing Revali by the wing before walking to the ramp that drops down to the sands below.

"I said I'm not leaving - "

"And I am saying that you ought to get along with everyone, and so you will leave this Divine Beast and greet my people with your fellow Champions." She glances over her shoulder at him, and sees the scowl in his face. She ignores it, and the pulse of frustration that comes through her, and ushers him down the ramp and into the desert below.

Revali lets out a groan the moment he steps outside, tugging at his scarf as he glances around. Urbosa walks through the sand towards Zelda, who stands nearby surrounded by Gerudo women. Zelda offers them tentative smiles, shifting her feet awkwardly. Link watches stoically, paying no heed to the women that stare and whisper from afar.

"Urbosa! Revali!" Daruk calls, waving them over. The Gerudo women salute to their chief, and she smiles. Zelda turns and then rushes forward, and Urbosa offers her an open arm, which Zelda responds to by leaping forward and hugging her.

Revali lets out a strangled squawk then, and Urbosa turns to look at him before frowning.

"Etra," she says sternly.

The small child looks up innocently from where she's pulling at Revali's feathers. Urbosa sighs.

"Where is your mother?"

Etra just shrugs, so Urbosa lets go of Zelda and squats to pick up the child, resting her against Urbosa's shoulder. There's a soft feeling in her heart as the child squirms before clutching onto Urbosa.

"Etra!" A long-haired Gerudo rushes forward to Urbosa before bowing. "Thank you, Lady Urbosa."

"It is no trouble," Urbosa smiles, placing the child in her mother's arms. "You should thank Revali. It seems Etra was curious about him more so than staying with you."

"Indeed," her mother smiles before glancing at Revali. He stays as stiff as a statue, and Urbosa elbows him in the ribs. He wheezes, doubling over and glaring at her.

The sound and motion of the Rito warrior seems to have entranced many of the Gerudo, who turn their eyes from Zelda or Link or Daruk or Mipha to him. Revali freezes up, and tugs at his scarf before glancing at Urbosa. A sense of amusement runs through her veins, and she tugs at his wing.

"Say sav'aaq, Revali," she says.

"Sav'aaq," he repeats, crossing his wings. "Now stop making me say random words in your language."

Urbosa sighs, shaking her head. "This vure…"

He glances at her strangely.

"Bird," she translates, and he glares at her. She laughs before turning to Zelda. "Shall we go?"

"Yes," Zelda agrees, and Urbosa gestures for the other Champions to follow her onto Naboris. Zelda leads the way, and Link follows close behind. Mipha takes a hesitant step before hurrying after the Hylian knight, and Daruk lumbers on after her. Revali boards before Urbosa, but falls back to her side.

"Do your people always stare at men like that?"

Urbosa throws her head back and laughs as she commands Naboris to raise the ramp behind them. It rumbles as it slowly raises itself. "It has been a long time since voe have been seen by Gerudo in Gerudo Town. It is simply their curiosity."

"I get that, but did they have to stare at me so much?" Revali mumbles back. "What about Link, or Daruk?"

"Gorons are allowed in Gerudo Town, and Link does not look unlike a Hylian vai. Besides, you are a Rito," Urbosa points out. "And Rito do not come to Gerudo often either. I doubt anyone in Gerudo has seen a Rito voe before."

"I can see why," Revali shoots back, brushing sand off his wings. "Goddess Hylia, it's hot."

"Is it really that hot?" Urbosa tilts her head, and then smiles. "Ah, your feathers. They must make the heat insufferable."

"Our feathers are good at trapping heat, not letting it go," Revali explains in agreement before groaning and tugging at his scarf. "How do you stand this?"

"I've lived here my whole life, I'm not trapping as much heat as you are, and the metal we use here doesn't build up heat," Urbosa explains, walking back inside Naboris. Revali tilts his head as he follows after her.

"It doesn't?"

Urbosa stretches out her braceleted arm in response, and he gently lays a wing on the accessory before blinking in surprise.

"It's not hot at all."

"But your wing is," Urbosa replies, and gently removes his wing from her arm. "Death Mountain is even hotter than Gerudo Desert. There's a reason we never hold meetings in Goron City. None of us would be able to stand it there unless we used elixirs. There may be some monsters now as Calamity Ganon's return draws near, but not enough for all of us to have a sufficient amount of elixirs to stay on Death Mountain."

"Well, then I'm thankful," Revali says snarkily. "I don't think I'll ever go to Death Mountain unless I've gone insane."

Urbosa chuckles, and then turns away from him, walking alongside him up the path leading into Naboris. "If you're hot, why don't we take a trip to the Kara Kara Bazaar before we start our meeting? I'm sure we'll be able to buy something that we can use to cook up a nice chilly fruit pie to keep you cool."

"I'm not that hot - " Revali starts, and then stumbles. Urbosa catches him, and touches a hand to his head feathers. They're burning hot, and she pulls away, an amused feeling in her chest.

"You were saying?"

"...You win. Let's go," Revali mutters, and covers a cough with his wing. "Goddess Hylia, there's - sand in - my throat - " he hacks, and then doubles over before standing up.

Urbosa shakes her head and closes her eyes, directing Naboris in the direction of the Kara Kara Bazaar, a gentle smile on her face. Naboris buzzes with electricity as it stomps forward, its steps as loud as thunder, but not louder than the indignant squawk Revali lets out when he finds out Zelda had taken pictures of him shoveling chilly fruit pie in his mouth.

~ / . / . / ~

She stumbles through the storm, clutching her neck. Blood spills from the gash along it, dribbling through her fingers and down her chest plate only to mix with the rain and stain it red, leaving distorted crimson trails along her body.

The Scimitar of Seven has been tucked away, alongside the Daybreaker Shield. She limps along, her chest heaving. Using her power so much has drained her more than she has ever felt. The metal brace that normally holds her ponytail together has been cut off, and the simple charm tying her ponytail into its usual style slips off in the rain. Her red hair falls around her like a waterfall, already thoroughly soaked.

A figure appears in the distance, and she blinks, brushing her hair out of her eyes. It descends from the sky, and she raises her hand and snaps, not caring if it's friend of foe.

A lightning bolt comes crashing down, although the figure manages to dodge it, and she falls to her knees, gasping for breath. Her skin feels like it's on fire, even more than it ever has felt back in Gerudo. Harsh winds blast her, and she looks up through loose strands of hair.

It's Revali, feathers slicked with rain and braids doused with water as he lands beside her.

"What in the world did you do?" he asks, and he almost sounds like he's worried. She has to hold back a weak chuckle as he uses his feathers to brush her hair away from her forehead before touching a wing to her forehead. "Goddess, you're burning up. What stupid thing did you do now?"

"Fought… monsters…" she breathes. "Horde of… Lynels threatening… Akkala… I had to… help…"

"Why didn't you just stay there, you idiot?" Revali questions with a touch of concern - concern! - and then shakes his head. His braids splash water across her face, but she's too tired to notice. It's not like a few drops of water make a difference in a storm. "Never mind. We have to go to Zora's Domain."

"What…? You can't… carry me… all the way there… That's… too hard… on your body…"

Revali ignores her words and kneels. "Get on. We have to get you to Mipha."

"Revali - "

"Hurry up!" he snaps, and there's something in his voice that makes her unable to refuse. With her muscles aching, she clambers onto his back. Revali pauses for a moment, and then launches himself into the air. A strong gust of wind pushes him forward, and he glides through the air gracefully.

Urbosa rests her head against Revali's scarf, grunting as the wind cuts sharply at the wound on her neck.

"Are you alright?" he asks, his voice surprisingly gentle.

"I am… okay…" she winces. "Don't worry… about me…"

"You're gushing blood all over me. That's not the definition of 'okay'," he replies snarkily before murmuring something under his breath.

"What…?"

"Nothing," he replies, and then flaps his wings, soaring through the air towards Zora's Domain. The world fades in and out, going black and then brightening again. She can swear she hears Revali curse through a gritted beak, but she's not sure if it even happened, and so she doesn't ask him.

"Are… we far…?" she whispers instead.

"No," he replies breathily. With a sharp intake of breath, wind blossoms at his wings, and he pushes himself forward through the forming tornado's eye. Urbosa clenches her jaw, flinching at the sharp wind slashing behind her.

She closes her eyes, and then jolts awake at the sudden feeling of descending. Revali flaps his wings, and she can feel his muscles bunching up against her body. He hisses, and then angles his body downwards.

"Mipha!" Revali yells from the sky above Zora's Domain. "Mipha!"

The Zora Champion rushes out of the throne room, a soldier beside her as she looks upwards. "Revali?" she cries out.

He glides downwards and lands clumsily in front of her. Urbosa tightens her arms around him as she attempts to stand, and he lowers his body until her feet hit the tiled floor of Zora's Domain and Urbosa's knees buckle beneath her. He catches her, his chest heaving, as she drips with water and blood.

"Oh goddess…!" Mipha gasps, turning to the soldier by her side. "Bring Urbosa into the tending room, please. I will tend to her as soon as I can."

The Zora salutes and takes Urbosa from Revali. She allows her eyes to close, and lets the tiredness and sleepiness and aching feel that she's been holding back take her.

Just before the darkness consumes her, she hears Mipha whisper, "Revali - "

He cuts her off with a - there it was again - prideful, "No. Leave me alone."

Then the darkness strikes Urbosa like lightning, and all she can hear is the rolling thunder in the distance, filling her ears with the resounding sounds of the power she holds.


	2. second, their lives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Urbosa finds him almost an hour later, just on the coast of Lake Hylia. He's shooting at the trees in the forest nearby, his beak clenched and face lined with concentration and pain - he may be able hide from Link or her little bird, but he can't hide it from her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Ideas: Oof  
> I went to an actual archery range to write this fic with *experience* and now I have a big nasty bruise on the side of my arm. The things I do for my fics

She walks through the halls of Zora's Domain, a literal storm as she turns every corner desperately in seek of one person.

"That feather-brained, egotistical - " she grinds her teeth, turning the corner and almost running into Mipha.

"Ah!" the small Zora gasps before bowing. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Sorry, Mipha," Urbosa apologizes, laying a gentle hand on the Zora's shoulder. "Do you know where Revali is?"

"Revali?" Mipha tilts her head. "I believe I saw him flying along the river earlier. Perhaps he is in Lake Hylia, or along the river somewhere?"

"Along the river… got it." She pauses, and then looks at Mipha. "He won't let you heal his wound, will he?"

"So you do know," Mipha murmurs before she shakes her head. "No, he will not. We have had to resort to sneaking elixirs and doses of medicine into his food to help heal him. He refuses to let himself show any weakness."

"How… was the injury caused?" she questions hesitantly.

"It was partly stress in the physical aspect, and partly exhaustion," Mipha replies. "He was already exhausted, and yet while carrying you kept using his gale to push himself forward. Even though I limited him to three gales every six minutes, he used almost twice the amount, and especially when carrying someone…"

"So I did cause it…" Urbosa murmurs bitterly, a sense of guilt in her voice.

"No!" Mipha cries almost immediately, and Urbosa starts, as does Mipha herself. "I… I did not mean to raise my voice. But it is not your fault, Urbosa."

Urbosa lays a gentle hand on the crown of Mipha's head, smiling. "Thank you, Mipha." Letting her hand fall to her side after that, she begins to walk away.

"Urbosa," Mipha calls, and Urbosa turns. Taking a deep breath, Mipha speaks up. "I… Revali is stubborn and proud. He will not accept any help you attempt to offer him. Please be kind to him - "

"Don't worry," Urbosa smiles, and Mipha lets out a sigh of relief. "I understand him. Infuriatingly, I do. So don't worry."

"Thank you, Urbosa," Mipha replies with gratitude. Urbosa steps forward and pulls the Zora into a short hug before hurrying away. She follows the river to Lake Hylia, looking desperately for Revali.

Urbosa finds him almost an hour later, just on the coast of Lake Hylia. He's shooting at the trees in the forest nearby, his beak clenched and face lined with concentration and pain - he may be able hide from Link or her little bird, but he can't hide it from her.

"Revali," she calls out, and he turns, startled, before scowling.

"What do you want?" he asks angrily as she draws near. "I thought I made it clear that I didn't want anyone to bother me now."

Without a word, she reaches for his left wing. He squawks in surprise, jumping back.

"Hey!" he snaps.

"Let me see your wing," she says, holding out her hand.

"Why?" he asks pointedly, turning so that she can only see his profile.

"Let me see it," she repeats. "Your wing isn't hurt, is it?" Of course, she knows the answer is that yes, it is hurt, but when Revali stiffens she almost feels triumphant.

"I'm fine," he grinds out between a gritted beak. "There's no reason for you to be worried about me, of all people. Now leave me alone." He runs a feathered wing along his bow and then plucks the bowstring as he walks deeper into the forest, but Urbosa can see him trying to hold back the pained expression that blossoms on his face.

"Revali," she presses again, following after him.

"I said," he growls, punctuated by a glare, "I'm. Fine."

"Let me see your wing."

"I'm fine!" Revali yells, turning suddenly and setting his bow down violently. "Okay!? Leave me alone."

"No," Urbosa replies sternly, and Revali meets her gaze angrily. "No, I will not leave you alone, Revali." Before he can protest, she continues. "Calamity Ganon's resurrection is imminent, and I cannot let any of you go into that battle without being fully prepared for it. That includes the treatment of any injuries. Like yours."

"Look, I told you I'm fine - "

"Are you not telling me," she interrupts, her voice low, "because you are prideful, and don't want to show weakness?"

Revali clenches his beak - she's struck a nerve.

"I don't know why you're so concerned, because I'm fine. Okay? It has nothing to do with me being prideful," he snaps, his voice dripping with venom. Sucking in a sharp breath between her teeth, she glares at him.

"Listen, Revali. I'm more grateful than you could ever imagine that you risked and received an injury to bring me to Mipha. And that's why I will not tolerate this behavior of yours any longer. And if I must," she grabs him by his scarf, ignoring his cry of surprise, "resort to my fists - "

She cuts herself off, suddenly letting go of his scarf and planting her hand against his chest before slamming him into the tree behind him.

"So be it," she finishes, her chest heaving as she leans her head in, their faces mere centimeters apart. Revali tilts his head upwards, and she can feel the cool touch of his upper beak as he speaks, his voice somewhat strangled.

"And what makes you think you're entitled enough to worry about us like we're helpless children?" he snarls.

"Am I not a chief of my own people?" she shoots back. "Am I not the one who worries when your bowstring snaps, or when Mipha overworks herself, or when Zelda almost passes out in a freezing waterfall again? Revali, answer me this. Have you ever had to think about your entire village? About their troubles, and their worries?"

Revali doesn't answer, but she can sense a growing guilt behind his heart. She lets go of him, taking a step back before continuing.

"Do you understand, Revali? I have been raised to serve people and to watch over them. Since I was young, the only purpose I knew I had was to serve my people as the chief. And that hasn't changed. That is why I worry when you hide yourself away from the others, and from me."

He clenches his beak again. Urbosa sighs, brushing a strand of stray red hair from her face.

"...Your wellbeing matters to me. I'm sorry if I hurt you more but it was clear you wouldn't listen to me unless I resorted to force." She stifles a bitter laugh.

"...I'm sorry," he murmurs after a moment of tension, and then glares when she gives him a surprised look. "I am, okay? I really… am. I… didn't think you'd worry that much. I didn't know about… you, so I didn't think…"

He rubs his wing as he trails off, and then sighs before turning his gaze to look at her.

"...Thank you," he murmurs, and then averts his eyes.

Urbosa just smiles softly and watches him pick up the bow he had left lying on the ground. He reaches for an arrow, but she shakes her head. After a moment of hesitation, he lets his wing drop and watches Urbosa pull the multiple arrows from the trees around them.

She drops the bundle of arrows in his quiver, worry flashing through her as Revali straps his bow to his back and grunts in pain when he reaches his wing back.

"It's nothing," he murmurs when he sees the worry in her eyes, and then clenches his beak. "We… should get back to Zora's Domain."

Urbosa doesn't say anything, simply letting him take the lead.

And when he doesn't lean on her, out of unspoken concern for her newly healed injuries, and when he goes immediately for Mipha after they get back to the illuminated Zora's Domain, she can't help but feel like she's misjudged this Rito with a bow and arrow this whole time.

~ / . / . / ~

They're sharing a supper at the southern outpost when he fixes her with a stare so intense that she can't help but ask.

"What is it?" she questions, raising an eyebrow at him as she takes her last bite of chilly mushroom risotto.

"Those statues," Revali replies, scraping at his plate with his spoon for stray grains of rice. "What are they?"

"The heroines," Urbosa nods. "Out in the Gerudo Wastelands, right?"

"And the one in the Gerudo Highlands," Revali adds on.

"The eighth," she clarifies, putting her spoon down on her bowl. "She's been forgotten to history, compared to the seven."

"Who are they?" he repeats.

"Heroines that defended the Gerudo many centuries ago," Urbosa answers. "Their names have been lost, but they each possessed certain powers."

"Like what?"

Urbosa shakes her head. "That's what we're trying to decipher right now. It seems to be written in ancient Gerudo script, but we don't use that script nowadays. We still have to recover some documents before we can decipher it."

"What do you mean, decipher?" Revali questions.

"We don't use the ancient Gerudo script anymore," Urbosa repeats. "We have a few translations of the writings, but other than that, we have nothing."

"Hm," Revali murmurs, and then puts his spoon beside his bowl, sighing.

He glances away, holding his wing under his beak, as if in imitation of a person holding their chin. Suddenly, he looks at her.

"What about your sword?"

"My Scimitar of Seven?" she questions before shaking her head. "No. The scholars looked it over, and the best they could come up with is that the heroines must have used a blade similar to this one."

Revali opens his mouth to respond, but the door to the southern outpost is cracked open.

"Lady Urbosa, Master Revali, are you finished with your meal?" a guard asks.

"Ah, yes," Urbosa nods. The guard opens the door in an attempt to take the plates, but Urbosa shakes her head. "You shouldn't be looking after my dirty dishes. I'll come back to collect them later."

The guard nods, and Urbosa gestures for them to leave the door open before standing.

"If you're so interested in those seven heroines, why don't we go take a look?"

"Now?" Revali asks, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, now. We still have time," Urbosa replies before smiling. "Don't worry, we'll ride Naboris there."

"That's not - " Revali starts before cutting himself off, turning his face away and scoffing. Urbosa laughs softly and tugs at one of his braids lightly. He swats her hand away with a wing and sighs. "You don't need to physically wile me this time."

"I would prefer not to physically wile you at all," Urbosa replies as she turns toward the door. The sound of Revali pushing his chair echoes through the room, and Urbosa pulls the door open.

Naboris is already outside with its ramp lowered, awaiting its pilot. Urbosa rounds the southern outpost, falling into step with Revali before boarding the Divine Beast. Naboris raises itself from the sands and begins its journey to the Gerudo Highlands, two passengers aboard it.

"Have you visited the statues before?"

"No," Revali shakes his head, standing beside her as she touches her hand to the main terminal and displays a flickering map of Gerudo in front of the Guidance Stone. "I've only seen it when I fly in, but it was confusing enough that even I couldn't figure it out."

"Well, that's to be expected," Urbosa replies, and Revali scowls.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"No, I'm simply saying it would be hard to know what those statues are without knowledge of the Gerudo or our history," Urbosa explains.

Revali simply turns his eyes to the map, watching as the small yellow arrow representing Naboris draw closer to the area of the map labelled "Gerudo Wastelands".

No more words pass between them until the towering statues of the heroines break the sandy distance. Revali props a wing on his waist before looking over his shoulder and shifting his quiver. She glances over at him, only to see him twirling an arrow between his feathers.

"What are you doing?" she questions. He starts but doesn't drop the arrow, instead stopping and looking at her.

"It's a habit," he replies snarkily. "I do it when I'm bored." As if to prove it, he begins to spin the arrow again, turning his attention back to it. Urbosa can't help but raise an eyebrow at him.

"You're saying this is boring?" Urbosa asks, gesturing to the map.

Revali doesn't respond, simply putting the arrow away. She holds back a laugh and turns her eyes back to the horizon. The statues are now close, no more than a few Molduga-lengths away.

"...Why do they have to be so big?" Revali mutters under his breath.

"That, I don't have the answer to," Urbosa says before closing her eyes. Naboris comes to a halt a moment later, lowering itself to the ground. Blinking open her eyes, she meets Revali's gaze. "I didn't take you to be a scholarly type," she confesses.

"What - " Revali cuts himself off, turning his head pointedly and sticking his beak in the air. "Assuming that I have a lack of interest in scholarly matters simply because I am a skilled warrior, are you?"

Urbosa rolls her eyes and turns, making for the ramp that has started to lower. A draft of warm air slips into the Divine Beast from the opening. He follows after her, huffing indignantly.

Her feet sink into the unstable sand below, and even though she's spent her whole life in the sands, she's still unused to the deep sands of the Gerudo Wastelands.

"Be careful. The sands are ambitious here," she warns, brushing at her skirt before walking away from Naboris. The sound of crunching sand behind her tells her Revali is following close behind.

Finally, their feet meet sand-dusted tile in the middle of their destination, and when Revali lets out a sigh of relief, she can't blame him.

She doesn't say anything though, and instead looks up, craning her neck to see the statues of the heroines surrounding them. Looking at them for too long hurts her neck, and so she turns to Revali.

"What - " she stops. He's already taken flight, perched atop a heroine's sword.

"...There's nothing unusual about them from what I can see," Revali comments, his voice echoing through the empty sky.

Yet, as he says that, his eyes stay pinned on a small ball no more than a foot away from Urbosa, half-buried in the sand. She follows his gaze before smiling in realization and picking up the metal ball. Revali lands in front of her, his gaze curious.

"There's a symbol on the ball," Urbosa explains. Revali's eyes glaze over, deep in thought. She looks over at him. "What is it?"

"I've seen that symbol before…"

Before Urbosa can say anything, wind is swirling around him, and he launches himself up again.

She watches as he flies around, checking each heroine for something. He stops at the last one he checks before waving her over.

"Drop the ball in the hole in front of this one," he calls. "There's a symbol on this one that you can't see from here, but it matches the symbol on the ball." He pauses, and then laughs. "I see. What a simple puzzle."

Urbosa glances over. True to his word, she can't see it, but she follows his words and carries it over anyways.

Revali lands beside her and stares as she stops in front of him, frowning. "Why is there only one ball, though? If we had them all, we'd be able to solve this puzzle with ease."

"We dug this one up recently." As if to prove her point, she turns the ball over and dusts off bits of dirt and sand still stuck to the metal. "As for where the other ones are, we have no clue."

He watches with sharp eyes as she placed the ball in the nearby hole and claps her hands together.

"Come. It is time we returned to Gerudo Town. The princess will be waiting for me," she tells him. He casts one last glance at the statues of the heroines before turning and following her up the ramp of Naboris, sitting nearby. Their trip back is silent, laden with tension as they sit along the windows of Naboris.

At one point, she takes her eyes off of the horizon lined with the statues of the heroines and turns only to meet Revali's stoic eyes, aimed directly at her. She turns her head away after a moment of staring, but she can still feel his electrifying gaze, aimed straight at her like an arrow.

Urbosa holds back a laugh at the irony of it all.

~ / . / . / ~

"Good," Revali praises. "Just like that."

Urbosa lowers the bow, and Revali leaps into the sky, flying about the Flight Range and collecting the multiple arrows riddled across various targets.

"You've gotten fairly skilled at shooting at an angle," Revali comments as he lands in front of her and placing the arrows he collected into the quiver placed beside her. "Still, you could use work."

"Of course I could," Urbosa replies, smiling.

Today is her little bird's seventeenth birthday - the day she is able to step foot on Mt. Lanaryu. At her little bird's request, the Champions had awakened at dawn to see her off. Revali, despite the frustrated look on his face when Zelda had requested they see him off, had found it in his heart to arrive at Mt. Lanaryu; although, he had been waiting outside the gate at the top of the mountain rather than meeting them at the bottom and climbing up with them.

Her little bird looks over her shoulder, giving them all a parting look, before walking away to the Spring of Wisdom. Link follows after her, and Urbosa feels Mipha gently lean against her. They stare at Zelda's disappearing back in silence, Urbosa laying a gentle hand on Mipha's shoulder.

An awkward crack of Daruk's neck breaks the silence, and he glances around.

"So…" Daruk starts awkwardly. "What now?"

Mipha stifles a small giggle, and Revali sighs, looking away.

"Revali," Urbosa calls out to him. He turns, a scowl on his face.

"What?"

"You should call Medoh over. We can go to Rito Village and stay there until the sun sets and we need to come back."

"Oh, good thinking Urbosa!" Daruk grins. "Yeah, Revali! Call Medoh over!"

"Now, wait just a second. I didn't - " Revali pauses in the middle of his sentence as he catches the nasty glare Urbosa gives him. Taking in a deep breath, he lets it out in a defeated sigh before closing his eyes. "Fine."

Daruk lets out a triumph whoop, and Mipha laughs softly. Urbosa catches Revali's gaze after he opens his eyes and nods, a smile on her lips. He just blinks and then looks away.

And that's how they end up in the Flight Range with the sun slowly descending from the sky, a bow in Urbosa's hand as she aims for the targets Revali had initially set up for himself. She hadn't even planned to be shooting today, but Revali had disappeared sometime after their dinner with the Rito, and so she had set out to find him in the place she knew he was bound to be.

"...Do you think I can hit all of the targets?" she asks then, a cunning plan forming her mind.

He raises his eyebrows at her. "Do you really think you can hit all of those targets without a paraglider or my help?"

"Of course," Urbosa replies, and before Revali can even react, she raises her hand above her head and snaps her fingers.

Lightning crashes down from the sky, splitting and branching as it strikes down all the wooden targets strung up. Revali squawks loudly, almost falling over. Urbosa throws her head back with laughter.

"So?" Urbosa manages after she lets her laughter die down.

"Goddess Hylia," he grumbles. "I cannot believe you did that. No, that does not count!" He glances down into the Flight Range and squawks indignantly. "You've burnt all my targets too!"

"Oh, my apologies," she replies, her grin large before raising her eyes to the sky above the Flight Range. Her smile falls off her lips. "It's time."

Revali lets out a sigh and takes her bow. With a somber silence between them, she watches as he puts the bow away and hangs up the quiver of arrows. She follows him, and he closes the door to the outside of the Flight Range before leaving it.

Just as they descend the stairs, she snaps her fingers again. Lightning falls from above and thunder claps loudly. Revali screeches, and Urbosa throws her head back, laughing, the tension between them broken.

Neither of them know that this is the last time they can enjoy each others' company, nor are they expecting the calamity that they will face up on Mount Lanaryu or the disaster they will meet in their Divine Beasts.

~ / . / . / ~

Their first sign that something has gone horribly wrong is when Daruk stops responding.

"Hey," Revali snaps. "Daruk. What are you doing?"

"What - " Urbosa cuts herself off as the red light signifying Rudania on Naboris's main terminal fades away into a dim light. She frowns.

The lights only dim in that manner when the Divine Beasts are put to rest, often when the Champions retire for the day. To be putting his Divine Beast to rest at a time like this… what was Daruk thinking?

The red light intensifies, and there's the sound of metal clanging against rock.

"Daruk!" Mipha cries, and then gasps when Daruk lets out a hoarse yelp of pain.

"You ugly - " Daruk's indignant cry is cut off, and Urbosa can only watch in dread as the red light on Naboris's main terminal fades away - his Divine Beast has been powered off, or in the worst case, possessed.

"What… What happened?" Mipha questions after a moment of silence, her voice soft with worry.

"I don't know," Urbosa replies, "but from what we heard, it doesn't sound good."

There's a few minutes of heavy tension, and then Revali murmurs, "What in the world…?"

"What is it?" she questions.

"I raised Medoh to get a glimpse of Rudania and Rudania's looking… strange."

"Strange?" Mipha repeats apprehensively.

"Strange. It's… not blue."

A rush of dread slams through Urbosa. "What color is it turning?"

"Black." There's a pause, laden with anxiety and nervousness. Urbosa swallows in dread.

Suddenly, the blue light on Naboris's main terminal dims. They're losing connection with Mipha.

"Mipha?" Urbosa calls out hesitantly. There's no answer. She curls her hand into a fist, biting her lip. Revali lets out a shaky breath, and despite their situation, Urbosa has to resist the urge to make a witty comment - now's not the time.

There's no response, and Urbosa sucks in a breath between gritted teeth.

The blue light glows suddenly, and an ungodly scream from something almost unworldly erupts through her Divine Beast. Revali hisses a curse under his breath as she covers her ears.

The sound of something sliding through water echoes in her ears, and then Mipha, gasping heavily, breathes, "I can't - "

Mipha is cut off then, and the blue light blacks out. Ruta has been powered down.

Urbosa begins to tap her fingers against the stone slab. "Revali?"

"Ruta's starting to turn black… and Rudania's quickly becoming pink at this point. Do you think - "

"I don't want to think about it, but something bad must have happened. Calamity Ganon is in Hyrule… it makes no sense but he must have done something."

Suddenly, the main terminal in front of her glows, and then a stream of black and pink erupts from it. The Guidance Stone dims then, and she knows she's lost connection with Revali.

That's not the pressing issue, she realizes when she turns around. The pressing issue is the towering creature above her, the one summoning a sword on one arm and a shield in another lanky, long-nailed hand. It hunches over, spasming before letting out a blood-curdling scream, sparking with lightning and rumbling with thunder.

"What… are you?" she growls, unsheathing her sword and bringing her shield in front of her.

It doesn't bother answering, just swaying before zipping towards her. With a grunt of surprise, she raises her shield just in time to block its swing.

"You're what's been taking over our Divine Beasts," Urbosa hisses, jumping back as it attempts to swing at her again with its hooked blade.

It attempts to bring its blade down on her again, but she parries the blow before rushing forward with speed and striking at its torso, crippling it.

"This is my Divine Beast," she yells, "and I'll be damned if I let you take it!"

She thrusts the Scimitar of Seven forward, breaking through the creature's eye. The sword and shield it holds flicker, and she grits her teeth.

"You've been using Naboris's terminals' powers, haven't you? That's why I'm losing connection!" She slashes at the creature's eye again.

The Guidance Stone springs to life suddenly, and she turns.

"Urbosa?" Revali's voice asks, a tinge of hope in his words.

"I'm here," she replies over her shoulder, and she can't possibly mishear the sigh of relief he lets out. "Turns out Calamity Ganon sent something rather fierce for us to combat," Urbosa continues as she slashes mercilessly at the collapsed entity. It sparks back to life, slowly rising, and she hops back.

"What?" Revali asks.

"I have no clue what it is," she grunts as she blocks a swing with her shield. "But I don't like it." With graceful feet, she parries another blow and leaps through the air to land a strong slash to the creature's body. It blocks her blow, and Urbosa jumps back, scoffing.

Calamity Ganon's creation raises its sword, bringing it down. Urbosa parries the blow, and as the creature reels back she jumps forward, slashing at it with ferocity. It spasms at every hit she lands before letting out a shriek.

Collecting itself in a glowing ball of blue, the creature disappears before reappearing above the main terminal. Urbosa watches, her shield drawn, as the monster lets out another scream before raising its sword. It begins to sparkle, until it's sparking with the power of lightning, and calls down pillars of metal.

"What's happening?" Revali questions, surely alarmed by the sounds of crackling electricity and metal slamming into the surfaces of her Divine Beast.

"It's summoning lightning to its blade," she replies, narrowing her eyes. "This could - " she cuts herself off as the monster comes zipping towards her.

"Aren't your weapons - " Revali's voice is cut off by the flickering Guidance Stone. Urbosa clenches her jaw, and raises her shield to block the monster's blow.

She should have listened to him.

She gasps, falling to her knees as she's shocked violently, the electricity only intensified by her metal weapons, built such a long time ago that they do not resist electricity like her armor does. In a fit of pain she drops them, and leaves herself open for attack. The creature lets its shield go - something that should have been good - and reaches its disgusting, reeking, and ugly hand down, picking her up with a tightening grip.

"Screw you," she chokes out between the hand clenched around her bare torso and the crackles of lightning against her skin. She's heaving for air, kicking and clawing at the hands of Calamity Ganon's creation, but she left the Thunder Helm in her cousin's care, and without it to defend her from the lightning it sends through her body, she's left defenseless.

The creature raises its sword. She fights with tooth and nail against its grip, sweat beading against her skin. She can't help but scream every time she's shocked, and the world seems to black out longer each time. With her power of Naboris weakening, Calamity Ganon's creation gains more, and soon she can barely even keep the main terminal running.

"Urbosa!" Revali screams, his voice choppy from the poor communication. It almost sounds like he's sobbing - but that's ridiculous, she thinks.

It's the last thing she gets to think about, along with how the lightning crackles against her skin and how their carefully cultivated plan has turned into a failure, all because of one calamity.

And then the sword comes down, and her head is cleaved clean off her shoulders as Calamity Ganon's creation screams in victory. Revali screams.

~ / . / . / ~

Urbosa's spirit remains trapped in Naboris thereafter. She watches as Ganon's creation roars, picks up the two pieces of her body, and throws her into the sands below before commanding Naboris to move itself away from the plateau it had once been perched on and into the desert. Fury boils in her blood as she watches the controlled Naboris stomp through the desert, making for her people - to harm her people.

Urbosa's spirit is not free to stop the beast, although it is stopped. Almost an hour later, she and Thunderblight Ganon are sealed away into the main terminal by her little bird, and Urbosa's never been more proud of her until now. With no one to control it, Naboris powers down, and the Divine Beast slips into a deep slumber.

And so for the next century, she lays, lost in the darkness of her Divine Beast.

In the beginning, she often hears desperate voices at the edge of her drifting conscience that sound like Daruk or Mipha or her little bird or him, and as if in response, she reassures them.

She tells Daruk that their people are fine. She tells Mipha that Sidon won't give up hope, and that he'll lead the Zora in her stead. She tells her little bird that Link will surely save them when he has awakened from the Shrine of Resurrection. And him? She tells him those special words, those words she had never thought were meant for her to say, or for anyone to hear her say.

Slowly, as the decades ebb by, the reassurances don't reach them. Slowly, she can't hear their voices. Their voices fade in and out, and they grieve more. Mipha sobs gently, Daruk beats their chest in anguish, but her little bird holds hope. He falls silent.

Urbosa doesn't hear them for another fifty-one years, until suddenly her little bird's presence disappears. Has she been consumed by Ganon? The evidence points to it - Naboris has risen again, controlled by the scourge of Naboris, Thunderblight Ganon, and her world consists of the lit interiors of what was once her Divine Beast and nothing else.

Is it hope? They don't know - but Mipha's presence lays awash in a pool of tears until the day after, when she too disappears, and they begin to believe.

After Mipha is Daruk. And after Daruk, him.

She can't help but laugh when Link comes to free Naboris and she sees the Great Eagle Bow strapped to his back, and the power of the wind on his fingertips - not unlike a certain other Champion.

Of course, Link doesn't hear her, but when he rests his Sheikah Slate on that Travel Gate, a part of Thunderblight Ganon's control vanishes, and when she speaks, he listens, an intent look on his face. She watches as he bypasses puzzle after puzzle, challenges meant to keep anyone but a worthy Champion from activating the main terminal, and she feels Ganon's power beginning to weaken with every terminal Link frees.

And finally, when all five terminals are glowing blue, and all that's left is the main terminal where her soul has been imprisoned, Thunderblight Ganon itself goes to confront Link, and leaves itself wide open for an attack on both fronts.

In that moment, Urbosa stretches out and snatches control of more of the main terminal than she could've ever hoped for. Her connection with Naboris is reborn, blazing fiery and passionate in her mind, and her own Divine Beast begins to fight Thunderblight Ganon's control, tearing away its power bit by bit, until all it takes is three swings from Link's sword to break what had once been an impenetrable shield.

The world seems to pause when Link delivers the final strike, and then, in the blink of an eye, Thunderblight Ganon is slain, and in a spark of turquoise fire, she manifests into the world she had once been trapped away from.

Link disappears after their conversation, her gift given to him, and Urbosa commands Naboris forward - and it feels so good to be able to control Naboris on her goddess damn own.

Naboris settles where the desert meets the highlands, where it had once settled before, and where Urbosa can see the other beams of red light, draining Ganon of his power. She crosses her arms, and smiles. She's the last one.

The wind stirs behind her, and she glances over her shoulder before laughing.

"It's nice to see you again."

The Rito's spirit remains silent, simply walking to her side. He's enshrouded in turquoise flame, not unlike her. He doesn't look any different. His back is stiff and straight, with an egotistical look to him. Yet his eyes - those green eyes - are different. There's a sense of humility and understanding in him. Her smile grows larger.

"Urbosa - " Revali cuts himself off then, covering his beak with his wing, and she smiles, propping her hand on her hip.

"Revali," she murmurs.

Revali takes a breath, his eyes darting about frantically, as if looking for something to say. He gives up evidently, sighing in defeat. Urbosa chuckles.

"It's funny," she starts, and Revali gives her a strange look as she continues, "it's funny how we only realized at our deaths."

He pauses and then, to her surprise, chuckles a bit. "I suppose it is."

Her heart flutters - a feeling she has never been acquaintanced with. It was what her people described as love, wasn't it? It was something so tender and different from the hardened warrior life she had been so accustomed to; she understood now why people flocked to speak with the Gerudo vai who had already ventured out into the world.

"Urbosa!" Daruk appears in a blaze of turquoise fire, wrapping her in a hug. "Welcome back! Mipha's busy, but she sends her greetings too!"

"Can you leave us alone for one minute?" Revali snaps, and Urbosa laughs. "I told you, give me a minute! Not a second!"

"Oops! Sorry!" Daruk laughs, and then disappears. Urbosa turns expectantly to him.

"...I hope the afterlife has a desert," Revali states suddenly.

Urbosa lets out a short laugh, half from surprise and half from amusement. "Where is this coming from?"

"...I was really fascinated by Gerudo," Revali confesses. "Everything you did was so different. Every value you had, every belief you believed, every different word you used. It fascinated me. It really did."

Urbosa blinks, a feeling of surprise transforming into gratitude. She never knew Revali had these feelings - although, she supposes it's to be expected. Even though he opened up to her at times, she never really knew what he was thinking.

"Your silence is disconcerting," Revali's words break through her thoughts. She raises her eyebrows before replying.

"It's nice to know you were paying attention all those times, vure."

"Sa'oten, vai," he snaps back, and Urbosa laughs again. "You're going to drive me insane."

"Well, if the afterlife has a desert, I suppose you'll be spending plenty of time with me," Urbosa replies, and then purses her lips. "I… I was fascinated by Rito Village too. It was… startlingly different, but nice. I suppose I wanted to know more about you and the culture you had been raised in," she says, her voice blunt but her heart… pounding, for some reason.

"I - " Revali inhales sharply, a feeling of awkwardness emanating from him before he brushes his armor off. "Listen, I - "

"I know," Urbosa cuts him off. He blinks. She smiles. "I know," she repeats.

"I heard you the first time," Revali replies, but he's so stunned he forgets to add the normal tone of egotism to his voice, and she just laughs.

Calamity Ganon lets out a bloodcurdling scream, and Urbosa glances over. Link must be approaching Hyrule Castle, ready to avenge all of them and save her little bird.

A rush of excitement comes through her, and she smiles as the adrenaline begins to course through her. She turns to him.

"You should go," she tells him, and he scoffs.

"I've been prepared for ages. You don't need to tell me when to go."

With a gentle hand, Urbosa reaches out and touches his wing. He freezes, and looks on as he slowly begins to sparkle like Link did when she had sent him off. Hesitantly, he wraps his wing around her hand, and watches as he slowly fades away, until all he is a ball of light that zips away to Medoh. Urbosa watches, letting her hand drop to her side before turning away.

It's time to prepare Naboris's final strike of lightning and thunder against the calamity that had claimed their lives. And then, maybe afterwards, she will see that vure with unparalleled skill of a bow, raised in a world so different than her own.


End file.
